Racing Club Lens vs Saint-Etienne
FreeToday’s featured game is the Ligue 1 encounter between Racing Club Lens and Saint-Etienne. Hosts Racing Club Lens are doing enough to keep their heads above water since promotion from Ligue 2 and have set their stall out to be a difficult home side. Visitors Saint-Etienne have gone from bad to worse lately and have recently sacked their manager as a result.
Racing Club Lens are on a good run of form currently with just one defeat in their last five games, winning twice and drawing twice along the way. Lens don’t score as many goals as they’d like, I’m sure, but they seem to do enough in their games, particularly at home. Lens have won four out of nine home games this season but have only been beaten twice, which I personally consider to be a good record for a newly-promoted side. Lens have won their last three home games consecutively and will almost certainly avoid relegation if they continue to make their home games as useful as they have been lately.
Visitors Saint-Etienne appointed a new manager ahead of their last match, which was their home encounter against Olympique de Marseille. The typical “honeymoon effect” took place with the hosts claiming a point despite playing the majority of the game with ten men. However, Saint-Etienne now have a very difficult away trip ahead of them, particularly as they’ve already lost five out of eight away trips. Only a handful of sides have conceded more away goals than Saint-Etienne have this season and few sides have scored less on the road than they have. Two defeats in their last three games leaves Saint-Etienne somewhat bereft of confidence and momentum.
Saint-Etienne have a very tough match ahead of them tonight and I don’t think they’ve got the goals in them to take anything from the encounter. Lens are good at home, particularly of late so this should be a fairly straightforward home win.
Verdict: Racing Club Lens to win at 10/11.
Tuesday’s Picks
My tips:
Nimes vs Istres – home win at 5/6.
Nimes haven’t been playing too well of late with three defeats in their last five games. That said, they have won twice along the way and have won three out of their last five home games so there is some underlying consistency to their chaos-esque form guide! Nimes don’t score enough goals in my opinion but they do tend to put in solid performances at home nonetheless, losing just once in eight home games. Nimes might be struggling of late but they’re a strong home side and should be capable of winning this game tonight.
Visitors Istres have been playing quite well of late despite still lingering in the relegation zone. They’ve only lost twice in their last five games and have even mustered two wins along the way. However, Istres have an even worse goalscoring record than hosts Nimes – the worst in the division, in fact. Istres have already lost six out of eight away games this season, conceding nearly two goals per away game and scoring once per two away games on average. Istres have really struggled away from home following their promotion to Ligue 2 and I can’t see that changing tonight against a very resilient Nimes.
I won’t deny that I’m a little concerned by Nimes’ lack of goals lately but I think that there’s enough in their favour to claim the win tonight, particularly as Istres are unlikely to offer much in the way of opposition.
Verdict: Nimes to win at 5/6.
For the complete picks listing, see below!
French Ligue 1:
Racing Club Lens vs Saint-Etienne (7) 2-0
French Ligue 2:
Bastia vs Tours (6)
Chateauroux vs AC Ajaccio (5)
Dijon FCO vs Brest (7)
Guingamp vs Clermont Foot (4)
Laval vs Vannes OC (7)
Nimes vs Istres (6)
Arles vs Sedan-Ardennes (5)
Le Havre vs Strasbourg (4)
Nantes vs Angers (7)
Enjoy your free betting tips!